Today's Ecommerce Pulse
Target launches Circle Deal Days to challenge Amazon Prime Day
Target is launching its Target Circle Deal Days from June 23‑26, positioning the free‑to‑join program as a direct rival to Amazon Prime Day. New members who enroll between June 14‑22 receive a 15% discount on their first purchase, plus a free Starbucks coffee or Bullseye cookie on launch day, and a 50% discount on the first year of Target Circle 360.
Also developing:
By the numbers: FirstClub raises $55M Series B
StubHub to Refund $10 Million in Fees: Do You Qualify?
The Federal Trade Commission sued StubHub for concealing mandatory fees at checkout, prompting a settlement that includes a $10 million refund to affected buyers. The refund covers U.S. ticket purchases made between May 12 and May 14, 2025, and will be issued automatically within 90 days. StubHub has not disclosed the exact fee categories or individual payout amounts. The case is part of the FTC’s broader effort to eliminate deceptive "drip pricing" across ticketing and hospitality sectors.
First Price Rarely Best—Always Compare for Savings
My husband and I just got Fi collars for our dogs and I have to tell you about my price comparison journey because it's so on brand. Fi's website: $189.99 with a subscription. Amazon: 6-month membership. Then I checked Costco on...
AI Agents Won’t Kill Shopping – but Agentic Commerce Could Make Most of It Redundant
Klaviyo’s co‑CEOs describe a shift from traditional e‑commerce to "agentic commerce," where AI agents handle product discovery, evaluation, and purchase on behalf of shoppers. During the 2025 holiday season, their customer‑agent pilots helped tens of thousands of consumers find gifts...
Segment Google Shopping, Boost Revenue 45% and ROAS 40%
Huel increased revenue 45% and ROAS 40% just by segmenting their Google Shopping campaigns instead of using one generic feed. Meanwhile you're dumping all your products into one generic Google Shopping campaign and wondering why your ad spend is bleeding...
CDON AB (CDOAF) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
CDON AB, a leading Nordic marketplace with 3 million active customers, reported a solid Q1 2026 performance. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) grew 14% while gross profit after marketing (GPAM) rose 9%. The company posted a rolling 12‑month EBITDA of SEK 27 million (≈$3 million) and...
Coll-8’s Drop2shop Expands Choice for Vinted Ireland Shoppers
Drop2shop, the fast‑growing Irish parcel collection and returns service owned by Coll‑8, announced a partnership with European fashion marketplace Vinted. The collaboration lets Vinted buyers and sellers in the Republic of Ireland send and receive parcels via Drop2shop’s network, starting...
ASOS Narrows H1 Loss but Revenue Slides, Highlighting E‑Commerce Sales Strain
ASOS Plc posted a pre‑tax loss of £137.9 million ($175 million) for the first half of 2026, a sharp improvement from £241.5 million a year earlier, but revenue slipped 14% to £1.116 billion ($1.42 billion). The mixed results expose persistent pressure on online fashion retailers...
Adobe Launches CX Enterprise, Agentic AI Platform Aimed at Retail CX Orchestration
Adobe announced CX Enterprise, an end‑to‑end agentic AI system designed to coordinate retail customer‑experience workflows, at its Summit in Las Vegas on April 20, 2026. Built on the Adobe Experience Platform, the suite promises reusable AI agents, brand‑guarding intelligence and...
Asos Makes “Steady Progress” On Topline in H1 as Losses Narrow
ASOS reported an 8% increase in first‑half revenue, reaching £1.4 bn (about $1.78 bn), while its adjusted loss narrowed to £45 m ($57 m) from £70 m a year earlier. The online fashion retailer added 5% more active customers, pushing the base to roughly 27 million....
StubHub Refund 2025: Can You Get Money Back for Hidden Fees?
The Federal Trade Commission has forced StubHub to issue automatic refunds to U.S. ticket buyers who purchased live‑event tickets between May 12 and May 14, 2025, after the company failed to display mandatory fees up front. The settlement creates a $10 million redress fund,...
Wayfair Launches Way Day Sale with up to 80% Off, Early Member Access Starts April 23
Wayfair has opened its Way Day sale, giving members early access on April 23 and the public on April 25. Discounts of up to 80% on sofas, mattresses, rugs and more are prompting a traffic spike and highlighting the retailer’s...
Don’t Look Now, Amazon. Walmart Is Coming for Your Customers
Walmart has quietly transformed into a digital powerhouse, leveraging its Walmart+ subscription to offer free two‑day shipping and a rapidly expanding same‑day delivery network. The retailer’s marketplace sales grew faster than Amazon’s U.S. third‑party volume in Q1 2024, while grocery...
Custom vs Standard Shipping Boxes: What’s Better for Your Business?
Choosing between custom and standard shipping boxes hinges on cost, branding, and operational needs. Standard boxes are mass‑produced, low‑cost, and quick to restock, making them ideal for high‑volume, price‑sensitive shipments. Custom boxes, while pricier and slower to source, offer precise...
Q&A: Kingfisher’s David Jaffe Talks Marketplaces – and Making the Most of Opportunities
Kingfisher is leveraging its B&Q and Screwfix stores as fulfillment hubs, with roughly 90% of online orders shipped from physical locations. The retailer’s Marketplace initiative is scaling third‑party merchant onboarding and aims to enable cross‑border sales across Europe. Click & Collect times...
From Small Affiliate to Big Audience: Why Ignorance Is Not Affiliate Bliss!
Olivia Davson, co‑founder of Cubbi, turned a newborn‑parent discount app into a fast‑growing affiliate channel, securing a £50,000 (≈$63,500) Dragon’s Den investment while amassing 45,000 verified users. She personally reached out to a thousand brands, converting thirty into long‑term partners...
Amazon Opens First Distribution Center in Spain, Investing €100 Million in Zaragoza
Amazon is opening ZAZ8, its first dedicated distribution center in Spain, investing roughly €100 million ($108 million) in La Muela, Zaragoza. The 30,000‑square‑meter hub will serve as a regional inventory buffer for high‑velocity essentials and is slated to start operations in September 2026,...
How to Reduce Ecommerce Returns and Save Your Margins
U.S. ecommerce returns hit $849.9 billion in 2025, representing 15.8 % of sales and an average 20.8 % return rate—far above physical stores. The article identifies poor product information (≈40 % of returns) and fit‑related issues (20‑40 %) as the primary drivers, while fraud and...
Marketplace Leaders Take the Stage at Tradebyte’s ECD Munich 2026
Tradebyte announced the 2026 edition of its flagship Munich ECD, scheduled for May 12, marking the event’s second decade after a record‑breaking 2025 edition that hosted over 600 guests and 300 one‑to‑one meetings. The conference will feature top marketplace executives—including...
Amazon India to Invest Rs 2,800 Cr to Boost Logistics, Quick Commerce Push
Amazon India announced a Rs 2,800 crore (~$300 million) investment to upgrade its logistics network and accelerate its quick‑commerce vertical, Amazon Now. The funding will double Amazon Now’s footprint, add new micro‑fulfilment centres and expand warehouses and last‑mile stations nationwide. Part of a...
Temple & Webster Names Susie Sugden CEO, as Founder Changes Role
Temple & Webster has appointed former chief marketing officer Susie Sugden as its new chief executive, effective July 1. Co‑founder and ex‑CEO Mark Coulter will move into an executive chair role, while Stephen Heath shifts to lead independent director and Conrad Yiu...
Investors Bet €3.2M on the Second-Hand EV Market
Dutch startup Eccasion, founded by the creators of Swapfiets, secured €3.2 million (about $3.5 million) in a funding round led by Playfair VC and Rethink Ventures. The capital will fund team expansion and technology upgrades as the company targets selling more than...
EBay / Depop Merger Inquiry
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a Phase 1 invitation to comment on the proposed merger between eBay and fashion‑focused resale platform Depop. The comment window runs from 23 April to 8 May 2026, allowing any interested party to submit views...
Exclusive: Gauri Khan Family Trust to Re-Invests in Sleepy Owl
Sleepy Owl, the Indian D2C coffee brand, announced a fresh Series C2 funding round of Rs 12 crore (approximately $1.5 million). The round was led by Optiscape Network Holdings with a Rs 5 crore ($0.6 million) investment, and included contributions from Pramod Bhasin, the Gauri Khan...
Switching to LoopEngine Boosted Subscriptions and Retention
We migrated our big CPG client's subscription program to @LoopEngine Subscriptions last year. Subscriptions up. retention up. We just followed Loop's onboarding and implemented the features that made sense. For subscriptions, Loop is our go-to.
Online Food Platforms Fined in China
Chinese regulators have fined seven major e‑commerce platforms for food safety breaches linked to ghost‑kitchen operations. The State Administration for Market Regulation imposed total penalties of 3.6 billion yuan (about $530 million), ordered the removal of illegal listings, and suspended new shop...
How to Fight the $850 Billion Retail Returns Avalanche
Retailers face an $850 billion annual returns avalanche, with nearly $80 billion attributed to fraud. A recent Boll & Branch case revealed AI‑generated fake damage photos used to claim refunds, highlighting a new weaponized threat. Companies like Happy Returns, acquired by UPS for $450 million,...
6 Retail Tech Trends That Will Redefine Shopping Forever
Retail is moving from pure transaction spaces to experience‑driven environments, propelled by rapid tech advances and evolving shopper expectations. AI‑powered personalization and data analytics now enable retailers to predict behavior, optimize layouts, and deliver tailored experiences at scale. Self‑service kiosks...
Macy's Launches Gemini-Powered AI Concierge for 2.5M SKUs
The big picture behind Ask @Macy’s, a Gemini powered AI agent https://t.co/AfpKXxSpCM Macy's has rolled out a @GoogleCloud powered AI agent called "Ask Macy's," a concierge that leverage multimodal capabilities to move sales along and sort through the retailer's 2.5...
California AG Accuses Amazon of Pressuring Brands to Raise Rival Prices
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a new antitrust complaint alleging Amazon coerced vendors into raising prices at rival retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot. The filing, part of a lawsuit first brought in 2022, seeks to bar Amazon...
Clarks Unveils Curated Marketplace Powered by Marketplacer, Expands Third‑Party Offerings
Clarks has launched a curated online marketplace built on Marketplacer technology, allowing selected third‑party brands to sell alongside its core footwear range. The partnership lets Clarks broaden its assortment without holding extra inventory, preserving its brand experience while tapping new...
Afresh Secures $34 Million to Scale AI Grocery Platform Across U.S. Stores
Afresh announced a $34 million funding round led by Just Climate and High Sage Ventures to accelerate deployment of its AI grocery platform across more than 12,500 departments in 40 U.S. states. The capital will fund broader retailer rollouts and the...
Commercetools Hits $100 B GMV Run‑Rate in Q1 2026, Fueling AI‑First Commerce Push
commercetools announced that its Q1 2026 gross merchandise volume (GMV) surpassed the $100 billion run‑rate mark, driven by expanding enterprise adoption and AI‑first product launches. The company highlighted new agentic commerce tools and cited high‑profile customers such as Ulta Beauty, JD...
Bites CEO Calls 3PD ‘Broken,’ Says AI Will Fix It
Bites, a San Francisco food‑ordering startup founded by Bala Subramaniam and Deepak Tirumalasetty, argues that the current third‑party delivery (3PD) model is broken due to high commissions and data control. The company operates on a $1 flat fee per order,...
Wayfair's Early Way Day Offers Deep Patio Discounts
Wayfair’s early Way Day deals are already hitting early-clearance-level pricing, with steep discounts on patio furniture, grills, umbrellas, and backyard upgrades before the main event. https://t.co/YtX6eIxMGc https://t.co/rGzTsIjtGk
Sam’s Club Launched a One-Hour or Less Express Delivery Tier Across 600+ Clubs at the Same Price as In-Club with...
Sam’s Club rolled out an Express delivery tier that guarantees shipments in an hour or less across more than 600 locations, priced at $10 for Plus members and $22 for Club members with no minimum purchase. Since the April 2 launch,...
TikTok, Sea, Alibaba-Owned E-Commerce Corner ASEAN Markets
A Momentum Works report shows Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop will dominate 99 % of ASEAN e‑commerce by 2025, with Shopee holding over 50 % market share and $83.2 billion GMV. TikTok Shop doubled its sales to $45.6 billion, while Lazada stayed at $18 billion....
Lululemon Opens Mexican Online Store and Plans Eight New Stores This Year
Lululemon launched its Mexican e‑commerce site, lululemon.mx, and pledged to open eight brick‑and‑mortar stores in Mexico in 2026. The move is part of a broader international push that follows a 17% jump in Q4 international revenue and a 4% dip...
WooCommerce Merchants Can Now Sell Products Directly Through YouTube Videos and Shorts via the Google for WooCommerce Extension
Google and WooCommerce have upgraded the Google for WooCommerce extension to let merchants tag products from their catalog directly in YouTube videos and Shorts. The tags appear as shoppable cards during playback and in a dedicated shopping tab on the...
"Long-Term Agency Partnerships Deliver the Magic": ITC’s Shuvadip Banerjee
ITC, a Rs 73,000 crore (≈ $8.8 bn) conglomerate, is accelerating its digital‑first agenda across its FMCG arm, which now generates roughly Rs 22,000 crore (≈ $2.6 bn) in revenue from brands like Aashirvaad, Sunfeast and Bingo. The company relies on an internal AI‑driven engine called "Sixth Sense"...
An Auction Without Bidding: Loïc Gouzer’s Latest Bet on How to Sell Art
Art tech founder Loïc Gouzer is launching "No Warning," a new sales format on the Fair Warning auction app that eliminates traditional bidding. Buyers see a fixed price, can either purchase instantly or submit a single, binding offer that remains...
Dick’s Sporting Goods Tries Out AI-Powered Coaches From Adobe
Dick’s Sporting Goods has partnered with Adobe to embed AI‑powered “digital coaches” into its mobile app, offering sport‑specific training tips and personalized product recommendations. The rollout leverages Adobe Brand Concierge, while Adobe Experience Platform will unify shopper data across the...
Ulta Beauty and Google Deploy Gemini AI to Transform Online Beauty Shopping
Ulta Beauty and Google announced a Gemini‑enabled shopping experience that integrates the Universal Commerce Protocol across Google Search, the Gemini app and Ulta’s own sites. The partnership promises real‑time product recommendations and checkout without leaving the discovery surface, marking a...
GameStop Shares Rise as Power Packs Digital Card Platform Launches
GameStop Corp. shares edged up to $25.21, a 1.16% gain, after the company rolled out Power Packs, a digital trading‑card platform that unlocks real PSA‑graded cards. The modest rally reflects investor interest in the retailer’s diversification beyond video games into...
Best Buy Appoints Jason Bonfig as CEO, Eyes AI‑driven Sales Lift
Best Buy said Jason Bonfig, its chief customer, product and fulfillment officer, will replace Corie Barry as chief executive on Oct. 31. The transition comes as the retailer seeks to revive stagnant sales, leverage AI‑enabled devices and expand its third‑party...
Etsy Posts Q2 2025 Revenue Rise Amid GMS Decline and Unveils Breakup Registry Concept
Etsy announced Q2 2025 results with consolidated revenue up 4% to $673 million and adjusted EBITDA of $169 million, but gross merchandise sales slipped 4.8% YoY to $2.8 billion. The company also hinted at a new "breakup registry" service aimed at Gen Z buyers,...
Voice Is the New AI Interface: Why the Next Great UX Won’t Feel Like Software
Retail’s shift from static menus and typed chat boxes to voice‑first AI restores the natural conversation that drives sales. Typed prompts force users to translate intent into precise keywords, leading to low completion rates, while voice lets shoppers and staff...
ASOS Exec Reveals How Flexible Fulfillment Is Changing Fashion Retail | RTS 2026
In this OmniTalk Retail interview, ASOS Brands Director Shazmin Malik explains how the company’s flexible fulfillment models—Partner Fulfill and ASOS Fulfillment Services—enable a global, multi‑brand ecosystem that serves 18 million customers across 200 markets. She highlights the rapid growth of these...
![[YMMV] Safeway/Albertson’s Just4u: $40 Off $75 Online Order](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/safeway-image-2.jpg)
[YMMV] Safeway/Albertson’s Just4u: $40 Off $75 Online Order
Safeway, Albertsons and their affiliated banners have refreshed a Just4u digital coupon that gives shoppers $40 off a minimum $75 online order. The promotion, available through May 5 2026 for most markets, is a one‑time use offer that excludes alcohol, tobacco and...
Seedance 2.0 Delivers Ultra‑Realistic AI UGC Ads
How I Make (insanely) Realistic AI UGC ads with Seedance 2.0 WATCH HERE 👉 https://t.co/WXdgLmQEox In this video, I show you how I use Seedance 2 to create insanely realistic AI UGC ads for dropshipping. The biggest game changer is the...
Microsoft Still Eyes Full Multiplatform Xbox Store on Android
Microsoft’s new head of gaming, Asha Sharma, says Microsoft is still pursuing the idea of evolving the Xbox App for Android into a full-fledged multiplatform game store.